Savior
by BinaryEye101
Summary: Hal was prepared to take down Brainiac. He wasn't prepared for the damage the android had caused in his wake. As his fleet took down the android's ship, he was left to clean up Brainiac's mess. That mess might include dozens of decaying aliens, disgusting cells, and rescuing a certain species that was the only survivor. Will Hal follow protocol, or bend the rules, as its savior?
1. Chapter 1: Rescue

**Chapter 1: Rescue**

The Green Lantern of Space Sector 2814 was almost entirely happy. The week before, he'd helped take out an entire armada of Red Lanterns, popped by Earth to check on his Justice League duties (and catch a couple days of rest), _and_ managed to get back out to Oa early (with a box of donuts under his arm). He'd been casually doing some "paperwork" for the armada's prison records, when the call went out to get his ass out to Sector 3186, where Brainiac had been spotted: the Kryptonian android with a god complex, and a collection of shrunken planets stored in small jars in his ship. Apparently, the android had been doing some serious illegal genetic experimentation, intergalactic kidnapping, and committing mass murder while he was traveling the galaxy looking for new planets for his "collection". Hal Jordan had taken the first ship out to the sector, and was happy to oblige in shooting down dozens of the android's cloned drone ships. Eventually, the Lanterns had managed to crash the massive ship on an aquatic planet, with most of the skull-shaped hull underwater. Dozens of Lanterns boarded the ship from an entrance towards the top, hoping to evacuate the species that Brainiac had kidnapped over the years before the entire thing went down in water. Once inside, and Hal was with them, the Lanterns were greeted with cell after cell of intergalactic alien corpses, all rotting beyond belief and producing an odor one could never imagine. Their cells, or prisons rather, were disgusting to glance at: dirty, filled with feces and excrement of all kinds, the actual alien's body either a pile of rotting flesh or having decomposed to house maggots within their bones. The Lanterns spread apart, scanning each body before loading it onto a cart to be sent back to Oa for further inspection, hopefully to be used in the trial of the murderous android. Hal hoped to god that the bodies would be burned, knowing well that corpses having been decaying _that_ long would definitely cause some kind of disease. Having collected all the bodies in his select cell block, Hal began to wander the ship, noting the labeling of the passages he took, for quick exit of need be. Walking through dozens of hallways in the massive ship, he paused at a large door labeled "CONTROL ROOM". The door was made of a thick metal, but it easily slid open due to water damaging the panels along the walls. The other Lanterns had already picked Brainiac up and carted him off to Oa for the trial, imprisoning him on their home planet with better security, so most of the brain-synchronized parts of the ship had shut off. Hal looked at the floor as smaller gears and metallic arms moved items across the space before him, creating an efficient transport system. The main control lights were dim, making it hard to see, but the room was mostly intact. A few cut wires here and there, some smashed equipment on the floor, but not too much damage. The android had sure put up a fight to defend his collection. 'All in vain.' Hal thought, wondering how a robot could create such chaos. He was startled out of his ponderings by his ring buzzing, signalling a call. He answered, lifting the glowing piece of jewelry to his eye level. "2814 speaking." he stated. "Jordan, good. I've already contacted the other lanterns inside the ship. It seems that during the fight, we breached the engine compartment, as well as some other critical components. We're running scans to see how we can pull it out of the water, but it seems like huge portions of the hull were breached. No water has reached you, has it?" Jade, an old friend of the human, also from Earth, asked. Hal glanced around, seeing no immediate damage. "No, not that I can see. I'll look around a little longer, and I'll be out soon. How long do I have before it comes in?" Hal asked back. "Ten minutes. Make it quick." Jade replied, hanging up. Green Lanterns could project a protective field around themselves, so Hal wasn't worried about drowning or anything, he just liked to walk sometimes. Turning around to leave, his eyes settled on a severely cracked window just to the right of the door he'd just walked through. Walking towards it for a closer look, he realized that water was gushing in from the far wall, having a large hole smashed in it. Searching the room for anything of importance, his eyes settled on a small figure kneeling on the floor. Water was pouring out on top of it, drenching its body, while it struggled to breathe in the onslaught of fluid. A thick chain had been locked to its throat, complete with shackle to bind it to the floor, while its arms were strapped behind it in a painful ninety degree angle against its back with a thick metallic band. A smaller metallic band was also wrapped around its face, acting as a muzzle, apparently. Its legs appeared useless as of the moment, since it wasn't even using them, the structure of its limbs bent and twisted in awkward angles. Hal snapped back to reality once he realized that the creature was the only _living_ one on the ship….the only one Brainiac hadn't killed, starved, dehydrated, or air-blasted out of his cargo hold. And….it was going to die by drowning. "Shit." Hal cursed, kicking down the door to the small cell. Water flushed out around his knees, nearly knocking him over while he fought against the small current, trying to get to the small creature. The chain was floating freely in the amount of water in the room, the creature having barely two inches before it was to be completely cut off from oxygen a second later. Constructing a saw, Hal chopped through the chain as quickly as he could, knowing well that the alien was most likely dead. Nevertheless, he constructed a protective orb around it, launching himself through the damaged hull and out into the air. Bursting through the water, his fellow Lanterns' heads whipped towards him as he floated over to them. "Jordan, are you alright?" Jade asked, floating over to him as he began to somewhat drop out of the sky. "Nope." Hal replied, coughing a small bit. Kilowog constructed a hand to hold his fellow lantern, while in turn Hal maintained his hold on the orb he constructed for the creature. Lying the creature on the loading dock, Hal managed to get to his feet and walk over to check it. "What's that?" Simon asked, eyeing Hal's prize. "The only thing Brainiac didn't kill on his ship." Hal replied. Gently pressing on the creature's back, water sprayed out of the muzzle hole, flowing down the dock and back into the ocean of the planet. Hal used his ring to pry the muzzle off, allowing the creature to suck in another breath of air. "Holy shit." Hal said, stepping back as the small creature slowly moved to sit up, coughing hysterically as it cleared the water from its lungs. Warily looking up at the small crowd of Green Lanterns surrounding it, its glassy eyes dizzily scanned over them before a low growl rumbled from its heavily toothed mouth, irises shrinking down to pinpricks. Catching the look, Jade moved to calm it, only earning a growl in response. Yat knelt down just a few feet away, attempting to gain its attention by snapping his fingers. "Come here, little creature. Come here." he cooed, voice low and calm. When he attempted to move closer, however, the creature frantically struggled to move back, snapping fearfully at him. Hal jumped in, blocking Yat from proceeding. "Whoa, man. If it doesn't want to be touched, don't touch it." he stated. Yat nodded, moving back to give it some space. Kilowog's eyes hadn't left the small creature's form, tracking it carefully as it watched the other lanterns debate. While they were distracted, he approached, a small Bolova cookie (a common treat) in his hand. Holding out the small offering between two large fingers, he moved with two feet of the small creature, trying to make himself seem less threatening. Observing his approach, the creature tracked his movements just as carefully as he did its own, remaining still as he inched closer to it. It displayed its dozens of needle-like teeth when he invaded its personal spatial bubble of three feet, he paid no heed to its warning and proceeded closer. Its body flinched away when he reached forward to offer it the food, the creature's head turning away as its eyes closed tightly. Pausing, Kilowog watched in surprise as the small creature's body shook slightly, tears beginning to pour down its cheeks. "I ain't gonna hurt ya." he said, smiling softly. Slowly opening its eyes, the creature moved to look at him, almost in disbelief, as he held out the cookie. "It's for ya. I had some spare and thought you might like one." Kilowog explained. Cautiously, the creature leaned forward, gently taking the cookie from between his fingers using its sharply-toothed jaws. Kilowog watched in delight as the creature flicked the cookie back into its mouth, gave it a few chews, and swallowed it. Leaning forward, Kilowog moved to gently pet the creature, watching it flinch away again. The Bolovaxian's hand gently glid over the creature's large dome, smooth and glossy at it was. Feeling the gentle stroking of its forehead, the creature began to quietly purr against him, desiring more of the gentle attention. In the debate group, Hal's point wasn't getting across, and he glanced around to find Kilowog gently petting the creature, to his delight. "We can't just get rid of it, Simon! It's a living creature!" Jade hissed at her partner. "I agree, it's going to require medical care." Yat added. Hal left the conversation and moved to stand beside Kilowog, smiling as he picked up the quiet purrs the creature was giving off. "Jordan! Get back over here!" Jade suddenly yelled, startling the trio out of their skin. Kilowog jumped a little, his partner jumping a little more since the demand was directed towards him, and the creature jerked out of Kilowog's hand, frightened. "Jade! You ruined Kilowog's moment!" Hal whined dramatically. Suddenly, coughing gained the lantern's attention, drawing him to the small spatters of blood being thrown upon the loading dock. Blood was gently dripping down the corner of the creature's mouth, splattering against the metallic loading dock as it coughed painfully hard, drawing sharp breaths into its lungs. "Did something change?" Hal asked, Kilowog shaking his head. Kilowog moved to stabilize the creature again, watching as it swayed before falling limp into his hands. Yat moved to check it, scanning its body carefully. "It needs medical attention, like _now_." he said, constructing an orb and booking it to the Infirmary. Hal, Kilowog, Simon, Jade, and followed close behind, giving the Daxamite room to maneuver if needed. Upon arrival to the Infirmary, IA, the healer, met them with a Medical Orb. "I witnessed your return from Brainiac's ship. It appears you have found an injured species that requires immediate medical treatment." she stated as Yat approached. Carefully, Yat placed the organism onto the Medical Orb, allowing IA to take over. IA moved the creature deeper into the Infirmary, where they kept a machine used for removing bonds or restraints placed by other organisms. Directing the creature into the machine, she used a massive saw to cut through the band on its arms, and a magnetic device to depolarize the remaining bond from the body. Once free, the creature's arms lie limply at its sides, just as limp as its legs. IA then used an electrocardiogram, a special IV set, an X-ray machine, and full-body scanner. Finalizing her results, IA, at last, placed the small creature on a medical bed, leaving it to rest on oxygen. After almost three hours, she emerged from the Infirmary, the results in her hand. "So, what's wrong with it?" Kilowog asked. "Dehydration, starvation, sleep-deprivation, oxygen deprivation, complete shattering of both tibias, fibulas, patellas, and femurs, fractured left humerus, and false rib pairs one through five have been cracked." she reported. Jade whistled shortly, signalling her shock. "Extensive damage. Will it survive the night?" Simon asked, getting elbowed in the ribs by Jade. Still, IA recognized his question. "With injures, survival chance is two point six percent." IA replied. Hal sighed, hearing Kilowog do so as well. "Can we see it?" Jade asked. IA nodded, leading them into the Infirmary to a small room. The creature was lying on the bed, covered up to the waist by a sheet, lying on its side with its arms curled in tight to its chest. Its body was small and frail looking, smaller than Hal's, and resembled a humanoid structure. Its skin was crimson red, marked by golden bolts of lightning across its hips, ankles, wrists, neck, chest, and forehead. A pair of small, golden hearing nodes resembling wings flicked every so often on the sides of its head, possibly picking up radio chatter. Kilowog held himself back from instantly stroking the creature, under the assumption that any kind of contact could create some damage to its frail body. The other lanterns merely stared at it, their expressions displaying their pity, horror, and sadness. "So small." Jade finally said after a few minutes of silence. Simon nodded, agreeing quietly. He turned to IA, gesturing towards the creature. "You scanned it, correct?" he asked. She nodded in return. "What species did it come back as?" he asked. IA moved to the monitor beside the bed, initializing the unit. "Species unknown." she replied. Hal's ears pricked up at her response. "You don't know what it is?" he asked. "No. There is no record of this species in our database." she replied. "So, the Guardians don't know what it is?" Yat asked aloud, making it seem more of an offering of information. Hal thought for a moment before answering. "If the Guardians know about everything, then they've got to know about this little guy. You said there's _no_ record of it? Can you check to see if there's a record that's been locked?" Hal asked, turning to IA. IA took a moment to sweep her files before turning to him. "No locked files of this species exist in our database. No files on this species exist in our database, to be precise." she replied. "Have the Guardians just not known about it?" Jade asked aloud. "That would prove that the Guardians don't know _everything_." Simon answered. "IA, would you do your best to make sure that it's well cared for, and report to us if it does end up passing?" Jade asked of the android. "Of course." IA replied. Hearing the android's confirmation, the lanterns quickly exited the Infirmary, together heading to find something to eat. In the commons, they each got a tray and sat at a table in their little group, silently unwilling to speak of the creature.


	2. Chapter 2: Checking

**Chapter 2: Checking**

The next day, Hal returned to the Infirmary, upon the notice that he hadn't received a message from IA about the creature's passing. Walking into the creature's room, he found Kilowog sitting on a chair beside it, alone. A little pot of Bolovaxian flowers sat on the bedside table, along with a small plush bear. An oxygen mask was drawn carefully over the creature's nose and mouth, pumping air into its lungs as it recovered. It still lie on its side, arms curled fetally into its chest, legs bent in a curled position. IA had administered medication to the small creature, and inserted gel blocks around its legs and arm to speed up its healing. The gel was comfortable to anyone, as Hal and Kilowog had had it before too, and used nanites to do extremely delicate work on the interior and exterior of the body. Hal stood in the doorway, silent, as he watched his best friend restrain himself from petting their charge. After a moment of watching the Bolovaxian struggle, he smiled and moved to sit next to him. "You can touch it, you know. You don't have to be afraid of contact, Kilowog." Hal said, trying to encourage the Bolovaxian to make the choice. Kilowog looked down at his hands before carefully reaching out to the creature's smooth dome, giving it a stroke. A quiet whine was the creature's response, its body refusing to move. Kilowog gave Hal a fearful look, of which Hal returned with a nod. "I'll take over your shift if you want, buddy. Take all the time you need." Hal said, standing up and moving out of the room. The rest of the day went smoothly by, and he found himself doing paperwork in his small office, without the company of Kilowog. Returning to the Infirmary, he found Jade, Yat, and Simon peeking in from the doorway. "What's going on?" Hal asked as he approached. "Kilowog fell asleep with it." Jade replied quietly. Peeking into the room, Hal realized that Kilowog had fallen asleep sitting beside the bed, his head resting on his arms. The creature lie immobile beside him, arms curled around the small plush bear the Bolovaxian had brought in. If Hal could have taken a picture, he would have. Moving away from the room as to not cause too much noise, Jade, Yat, Simon, and Hal sat in the waiting room, discussing the day. "I came and checked on him during lunch. Not much different, except that the guy was awake." Simon reported. "I came in around two. The "thing" was holding the bear by then." Jade reported. "This is my first time in. I was busy with reports all morning. I wanted to come in during lunch, since I didn't get the alert that it'd died, but I didn't get the chance." Yat reported. "I came in the morning, with the big guy. It seems like he stayed the entire day, just watching over it." Hal reported. "I think he's getting attached." Simon stated. "Indeed." Yat added. "He's a big softie. You can't blame him if something like this really gets to him. It's so small, and he's so big, so at some point he was found to fall in love with it." Jade explained. "If it goes any further than this, its death could be devastating to him." Yat added. "I agree, but who's going to stop him from expressing his concern? Like Jade said: he's a big softie. I'll tell you guys what, I'll pop in on him every couple of hours and make sure it's still breathing and he's not going insane, okay?" Hal proposed. "Keep a close eye on his calorie intake, too. If he's not eating, that could be problematic." Jade added. "Got it, anything else?" Hal asked. "I'll do some research into identifying its species. Simon told me he could get into a meeting with the Guardians and ask, if we really needed it, but I don't think that'll be needed." Yat added. "Alright. Keep that space open. If there's nothing about it anywhere, then the Guardians will be the only ones who know anything at all. And we're going to need that, if it's going to get proper medical care." Hal replied. Everyone nodded in agreement at the plan, and split up for the night.


	3. Chapter 3: Confessions

**Chapter 3: Confessions**

Hal returned the next morning, a bowl of Bolovaxian worms in his hand. Kilowog was sitting beside the bed, apparently reading a book. The electrocardiogram still showed a heartbeat on the creature, which allowed Hal to breathe for the moment. Walking into the room, he held the bowl out in front of Kilowog. "You look hungry, big guy." he said with a smile. Taking the bowl from his friend, Kilowog ate a few before setting it aside. "So, any new developments?" Hal asked. "Nothing, so far. I've been waiting for IA to walk in, so I can ask her about its legs, though. She hasn't shown up yet, so I've just been waiting." Kilowog replied. Hal glanced at the creature, before turning to Kilowog. "You _do_ know that we're worried about you, right?" he asked. "Yeah. Sorry. It's just….this case is really getting to me." Kilowog replied. "How so?" Hal asked, leaning back in his chair to get comfortable. "When I was a kid, I had a friend who just hurt animals for the _fun_ of it. I just stood by and watched it happen, because the guy was bigger than me and I didn't think I could do anything." Kilowog confessed. "Okay. If you were a kid, then it couldn't be blamed on you for doing nothing." Hal replied. "Eventually, the guy ended up killing a lot of animals in our town, and got away with it for years. I felt guilty, I still do. I feel like I couldn't do anything then, but I can do _something_ now." Kilowog added. "Kilowog, you don't have to feel like you need to redeem yourself because of something that happened when you were a kid." Hal explained. "I don't feel like I _can_ let this go, Hal. Brainiac hurt this little guy, and I feel like it's my responsibility to make sure it gets back on its feet." Kilowog replied. "Kilowog, I so-" Hal began before the Bolovaxian cut him off. "Don't be. It wasn't your fault. It was that traitorous, no good, dirty, rotten, cheating, killing, kidnapping devil of an android that thought this operation would be okay!" Kilowog snapped suddenly, standing and kicking his chair off its legs. He was moving to take out some much more expensive medical equipment in his anger, when Hal moved to redirect him, being cut off by the small creature whimpering from the medical bed. Kilowog's features softened instantly and he picked his seat back up, replacing himself at its bedside. "Sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to lose my temper." he apologized, bowing his head in shame. It was able to hear him, but couldn't open its eyes and _look_ at him. His hand brushed over its cheek, drawing a faint whimper. "I know ya can hear me, sweetheart. Ya know I'm here, right?" Kilowog asked, resting his hand on the pillow in front of its face. Nudging forward, the creature carefully took in his scent, before answering with a quiet chirp. "It's been through a lot in the past few years, Kilowog. The Healing Gel doesn't appear to be having too much of an effect, like we hoped. I want you to know something: I want you to know that we believe it'll take _years_ to recover from that kind of damage. The best thing we can do know is find out what species it is, and transport it back to Oa, where the medical treatment is better than just on this Transporter." Hal explained. Kilowog appeared to take in his words, and acknowledged them with a small huff. "I get where you guys are coming from, I really do. What's everybody else doing?" Kilowog asked back. "Simon's kept a spot open for us to ask the Guardians about its species, if we really need to. Yat's doing identification research, and Jade's doing something, I just don't know what." Hal replied. "Has Yat found anything yet?" Kilowog asked, Hal shaking his head. Kilowog glanced at the creature before looking down at his lap, sighing. "I have the biggest fear that it's going to die on us, Hal. I don't know how to get rid of that fear, but I have the feeling that it's a legit one." Kilowog confessed. Hal stood up and moved to Kilowog's side, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If it dies here, at least it dies far away from that damn ship and that damn android." the human offered, smiling softly. Throughout the day, Hal returned to check on the Bolovaxian, finding almost no change every time he returned.


	4. Chapter 4: Data

**Chapter 4: Data**

Days three and four passed silently and uneventful. Kilowog never left the Infirmary, barely ate, and did almost nothing the entire day as he remained by the unknown creature's beside. Jade stopped by several times to check up on him, lectured him on his eating habits, before leaving him with a handful of books to read in his native language. Simon stopped by once to bring an update on Brainiac's trial preparations. Yat didn't show up at all, but Hal wasn't surprised. The guy was a very busy soldier. Days five and six were the same. Day seven passed the morning hours and the Transporter landed on Oa, allowing the battle-weary lanterns to get some rest on their home planet for a short bit. Hal managed to persuade Kilowog to go back to their shared living space, get some sleep, fill up with a good meal, then return to the "Hospital" in the morning. Sitting in their group at lunch, Kilowog looked as if he hadn't eaten in weeks. "Kilowog, would you please eat something? We're worried about you." Jade pleaded to the Bolovaxian. Picking up several Bolovaxian worms, he consumed them quickly before downing a glass of juice. "I suppose I should update you all on what I've found on our little friend?" Yat offered, Hal nodding in agreement. The Daxamite pulled out a data pad, similar to an Ipad on Earth, and proceeded. "I went through our species index, subspecies index, general anomalous species index, and new species index. Out of eighty billion entries, there was _one_ file that _could_ be a match to our little friend." Yat explained. "One file that might not even be a match?" Simon echoed in shock. "Indeed. The file is listed under the subspecies index, linked under the Earth entry for humans." Yat added. "You've got to be kidding me. _That_ thing is not human. I've never seen anything like it before on Earth." Hal explained. "There's not much information here, for an entry, but I'll read it to you. The entry is called "Speedster", a subspecies of humans that evolved during direct contact with electricity. According to this, only one or two exist per universe. They are extremely rare creatures with the ability to use something called the Speed Force, granting them superspeed, time travel, and spatial jump abilities. These abilities vary depending on how the subspecies evolved, and how well they can control their energy, which in some cases can equal that of a Duvarian landmine." Yat read aloud. "What's a Duvarian landmine?" Hal asked. "Think of a Human landmine multiplied by ten in terms of damage." Kilowog replied. "A Speedster's ability to bend time and space around them is considered very useful, as long as they are controlled with an equally opposite force. Their energy can be drained in small amounts and used as power sources that will last for centuries." Yat added. "Physical description?" Jade asked. "Humanoid, usually muscular bodies, marked in a single color with lightning-like designs. Small hearing nodes, resembling wings to blades, sit at the sides of their head. Usually sharp teeth, similar to Earth-like sewing needles, and large eyes varying in color. They usually communicate using a variety of sounds, but not verbalized speech patterns recognizable to a translator." Yat added. "Sounds like our friend." Simon replied. Yat was reading another segment of the article, making a strange face that grabbed Hal's attention. "What's wrong, Yat?" he asked. "It says here that they sometimes walk among the Human populations on Earth, unnoticed, due to their ability to shift into a Human form." Yat added. "Holy shit." Simon said, shocked. "Yeah, holy shit." Jade agreed. "So, we might have passed one of these things while we were on Earth, just walking around? That is so scary." Hal said, shuddering slightly. "So, the Guardians did know about it, they just didn't want to share." Kilowog concluded, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe." Yat agreed. "I'm starting to think that Brainiac stumbled upon it by accident." Jade stated suddenly. "Why?" Simon asked. "Because he wasn't taking _care_ or it. He was treating it like another one of the species he collected for his genetic experiments. He broke its legs, for god's sake. That doesn't stand out as knowing the species you have is "pretty much extinct"." Jade explained. "True. But, he also _could_ have known, but just chose to use it for something else." Hal offered. "You don't _use_ a living thing, Jordan." Yat chimed in. "Yeah, but maybe he was doing something else with it. Like taking the energy Yat was talking about. He had it for a long time, so he had to be doing something that would benefit himself." Kilowog reasoned. "Maybe that'll come up when he goes on trial. For now, we need to keep our heads in the game. Yat, you're the researcher. Find anything you can on proper medical treatment for Speedsters. Jade, I want you to check up on its healing. Simon, you're our deductionist. Find out what Brainiac was trying to do with not only the Speedster, but the other species on his ship, too. Kilowog, big guy, I want you to keep an eye on it, and let us know if it does change forms. Everyone got it?" Hal asked. "What're you going to do?" Jade asked. "I'm going to do a little research into Speedster biology and check to see if there's been a sighting of a Speedster on our home planet." Hal replied. Everyone nodded, and headed off to do their assignments. Hal found himself sitting at his desk, furiously looking through files of Earth's video cameras, searching for any consistencies that would detail a Speedster on the planet. About half asleep, he was watching a video taken from a camera stationed in the lobby of the Police Department in Central City, when he watched a red blur race from the lobby, up the set of stairs leading to the second floor, and vanish around the corner where the hallway was marked "CSI Lab". Replaying the video, his eyes carefully tracked the blur's movement, double checking everything he'd seen the first time. Copying the video and saving it to his own data pad, he created a file about their little friend. 'So you _are_ walking around on Earth.' Hal thought, as he headed off to bed.


	5. Chapter 5: Recovery

**Chapter 5: Recovery**

Hal awoke to the buzzing of several messages on his ring, checking it swiftly as he got up and dressed.

YAT: HEY, JORDAN. FROM MY RESEARCH, SPEEDSTERS USUALLY DON'T NEED MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE EXCESS OF "HEALING"-TYPE CELLS IN THEIR BODIES PREVENT THEM FROM MAINTAINING INJURY, AND SPEED UP THEIR RECOVERY PROCESS BY A MULTIPLE OF TWENTY. IF ONE WERE TO TREAT A SPEEDSTER, YOU'D DO IT THE SAME WAY YOU'D TREAT A HUMAN FROM EARTH, EXCEPT THAT YOU'D HAVE TO COAX IT INTO ITS HUMAN FORM TO DO SO.

Hal typed back quickly, thanking the Daxamite for the information. He saved the message to his new research folder, marking it "Healing Tips". Checking the message list, Jade's was apparently next.

JADE: HAL, HEY. SO THE SPEEDSTER'S LOOKING REALLY GOOD. THE RIBS ARE HEALED AND SO IS THE ARM: NO CRACKS OR FRACTURES ANYMORE. ITS STARTED MOVING A LITTLE, EATING SOME, AND CAN BE OFF THE OXYGEN NOW. THE PATELLAS ARE GOOD TO GO, BUT THE FEMURS, FIBULAS AND TIBIAS ARE STILL PRETTY MUCH CRAP.

Hal texted her back, again thanking for the information. He placed the message in with the other, and labeled it "Progress". Next message was Simon.

SIMON: SORRY, HAL, I COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING OUT ABOUT WHAT BRAINIAC WAS DOING ON THAT SHIP EXCEPT COLLECTING, LOGGING, AND EXECUTING. I'LL KEEP LOOKING AND ASKING, BUT I DOUBT I CAN GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE ANDROID HIMSELF TO REALLY FIND OUT.

Hal replied with a thanks and a smiley face. And finally, there was Kilowog.

KILOWOG: NO CHANGE

Hal chuckled a little at the Bolovaxian's bluntness. It was in their core code, so it wasn't surprising at this point. Quickly running through a review of the many dead species found on Brainiac's ship, the lantern updated himself on every species, weight, height, home planet location, and trial was going to be in two weeks, his time, and he hoped to get the small creature up and walking by then, according to Yat's info on their healing times. So far, their Speedster hadn't made a move to harm anyone, only acting in self defense in most occasions, and rarely showed aggression. If he was lucky, he could find a translator to its language, or build one, and take a statement, too. Heading to the Hospital, Hal found Kilowog sitting beside the creature, who now sat up and was furiously munching on a large piece of dried meat the Bolovaxian had brought it. It looked _happy_, for the most part, ripping off large chunks of the meat and swallowing them whole. "This little guy could eat a mammoth." Kilowog said as Hal sat down. "Sure looks like it." Hal replied, casually sipping on a cup of coffee. "I got Yat, Simon, and Jade's messages, too. It seems like we can only help by providing medical care for a human. If we can somehow trick it into switching forms, maybe we could help it heal faster." Kilowog suggested. "Maybe, but how would we possibly be able to trick it?" Hal asked back. "By using sound frequency." Yat said as he strolled into the room. "Sound? What would that do?" Hal asked. "Speedsters are vulnerable to sound. Play the right frequency, and you can just about make anything happen." Yat replied. "What frequency do we use?" Kilowog asked. Yat pulled out his data pad and set the volume on high. "I'll start with low." he said, pressing on a sound file stored in the data pad. Hal paused, expecting to hear something, but surprisingly hearing nothing. The Speedster's ear nodes lifted high on the sides of its head, displaying its alertness. As Yat increased the frequency, it became more and more aggressive, showing its teeth and whatnot. "Alright, highest frequency my data pad can go." Yat finally said, bringing the sound file up to full frequency. The Speedster looked confused for a second before its eyes rolled into its head, and its body flopped back against the bed. "Got it." Yat stated. "Got it? You might've just killed it." Kilowog exclaimed in shock. "Explain how you've got it." Hal demanded, watching as Yat moved over to the side of the bed and reached out to touch the Speedster. Lifting its large dome with one hand, he appeared to pinch on a section of its neck tightly, before releasing. To the trio's shock, the Speedster's crimson skin began to sink into its body, revealing a human form underneath. The human form was young, maybe two years younger than Hal, and appeared male. His skin was very white, his hair was very blonde, and short, and he was dressed like he was ready for work in a police department. His cheekbones were high, his lips flatlined and slightly pink, his eyebrows as blonde as his hair. His neck was also thin, as was much of his body, and Hal doubted he weighed over a hundred pounds. His breathing was deep and heavy, signalling some form of sleep, while Yat moved away from the bed. "All part of the plan." he stated proudly. "So, how long do you think he's going to remain like this?" Hal asked. "The next few hours at the most. He'll wake up and become frightened of his surroundings again, triggering the Speedster form." Yat replied. Kilowog stuck his head out into the hallway, gaining IA's attention. "The _Speedster_ has finally taken its human form. I will proceed with humanistic medical practices to improve healing speed." IA reported, turning to a table and picking up a needle full of nanites. Moving to the Speedster's legs, she carefully injected the nanites into his right and left legs, allowing them the same amount. Within minutes, the nanites began moving the bone fragments in the Speedster's legs back into place, sealing the holes and cracks with collagen. IA then placed healing gel around each of the Speedster's joints, cushioning them as the nanites rebuild the connective tissue. "Total healing time will be approximately one hour." she reported to Hal, Yat, and Kilowog. "Finally something _good_ is getting done. Will it be able to walk?" Hal asked. "No." IA replied coldly. Upon hearing those words, Hal's celebration was cut short. "Why not?" he asked. "The neurological pathways that allow a terran to walk must be rebuilt. Physical therapy and training will allow those pathways to reopen or reform, but physical strength must be gained for the progress of running." she replied. "That just means we'll have to train it, right, Jordan?" Yat offered, trying to sound optimistic. Hal felt empty. He thought they'd just accomplished something _huge_, but now the poor thing wouldn't be able to walk. "Can you estimate recovery time?" he asked quietly, looking at his feet. "Estimated recovery time is one year." IA replied. 'Damn it. Damn it all.' Hal cursed in his mind. "Thank you for all your help, IA." he said, smiling softly. "Of course, Hal Jordan." she replied, turning to check the consistency of the gel. The trio exited the Hospital room and moved to the lobby, sitting together on the chairs provided. "I thought this was almost over." Kilowog said, holding his head in disappointment. "Me too, big guy. We were so _close_, and then it's just yanked away from us." Hal sighed back. "Perhaps we can check with Simon on his project, and hopefully distract ourselves from our currently depressed states of mind?" Yat offered. "Yeah, sure." Hal said, dialing Simon on his ring. "Jordan?" Simon's voice asked as his image projected as a hologram above Hal's ring. "Yeah, and Kilowog and Yat, too. So, you couldn't get close to Brainiac?" Hal asked. "No. He's heavily guarded, like _really_ guarded. It's scary. Anway, there's some rumors going around that he was using the Speedster for an energy core. They found a half-built one in his ship, once we got it out of the water and drained it. If he were to use its energy, he could've potentially escaped through a space jump, or a time jump. We don't know exactly how Speedster's do their thing, so it's just a rumor for now." Simon reported. "Well, if they have to generate that much energy, it would seem logical that they do it through movement, right?" Yat reasoned. "That's not a bad idea, but it wouldn't have been able to. It's legs were _shattered_, remember?" Hal countered. "What if they weren't before we attacked?" Kilowog reasoned. Hal and Yat paused, taking in his words. "So, you're saying that Brainiac _shattered_ its legs, knowing that it'd be able to recover, and with some kind of plan that he'd escape Oa with it?" Hal asked. "Something like that." Kilowog replied. "That's….a horrific image to have in my mind." Yat added. "Yeah. But, there's some reason in it. I'll keep digging, maybe chase a rumor or two closely." Simon added. "Got it. See you later." Hal said, hanging up. "If Brainiac shattered our Speedster's legs on the assumption that he'd be able to escape our prison, with a fully recovered Speedster, then there has to be a plan to escape us. We have his ship. There has to be something on him that would give him the ability to transport himself out of the prison." Yat reasoned. "Yat, I want you to go to the Guardians and try and get authorized to search the android. If it happens, search him _carefully_. You don't want to miss anything." Hal instructed. "Got it." Yat said, taking off out the Hospital door. Jade walked in not much later, a large cup of coffee in her hand. "So, how's everything going?" she asked as she sat down. "It won't be able to walk." Kilowog blurted. The woman's face said everything. "I'm sorry." she said, her face displaying her guilt. "Don't be. It just means we'll have to put a little more energy into its recovery." Hal replied. "So, anything of mention happen lately?" she asked. "Yat got it to transform into its human form." Kilowog replied. "Oh, really? Is it cute?" she asked, eyes lighting up. "Kinda." Kilowog replied casually. Hal rolled his eyes, smiling fondly at his two crew members. "Hopefully everything goes well when he wakes up." Hal replied.


	6. Chapter 6: Greetings

**Chapter 6: Greetings**

About two hours later, the lanterns were summoned back to the Hospital by way of emergency call. Dashing through the front doors, IA met them, a tranquilizer in her hand. "Greetings, Hal Jordan." she began. "What's going on? What's the emergency?" Hal asked, a little out of breath. Aliens of all sizes were rushing away from the room they usually frequented: the Speedster's room. "The Speedster patient has awoken and proceeded to go into shock. Its body has begun gathering an extremely dangerous electric charge, which could prove fatal to another if contact is made. The patient is discharging this electricity in small doses at the moment, but the situation could change drastically if it is not sedated immediately, and the charge disposed of properly." IA explained. "Alright, alright." Hal puffed, taking a deep breath. Peeking into the room, he spotted a small figure curled haphazardly into the far corner of the room, electricity curling around its body like yellow tentacles. The figure's head was resting on its knees, which were pulled tightly into its chest. Turning to his crew, Hal formulated a plan. "I'm from Earth. If he is too, then he'll understand me. If I can get him to trust me, I might be able to get him to relax." Hal offered. "I'm from Earth, too, and so is Simon. What makes you think you can do this?" Jade asked. Hal gave her a firm glare. "Because I've dealt with people in shock before. They take a lot of care to recover. And you don't want to be on the receiving end of their delusions." Hal replied. "Alright. So, you just want us to wait here?" Yat asked. Hal nodded, moving to the door frame. Stepping through, he took a few steps before the Speedster's head shot up from its knees, a pair of glowing blue eyes staring at him in terror. "Stay away from me!" the Speedster cried, moving to curl farther into the corner, if that was even possible. "Whoa, whoa, slow down. Look, I'm a human." Hal said, deactivating his ring for the moment. His mask disintegrated to reveal his pink skinned face, dotted with freckles along the cheeks, and his chocolate eyes. He was dressed in his pilot's jacket, a pair of blue jeans, tennis shoes, and a white sleeveless t-shirt, his dogtags hanging loose against his chest from a silver chain. Upon seeing him change form, the Speedster flinched away from him, grinding his teeth. "I'm not going to hurt you, okay? I'm here to _help_ you. So is everyone here. We've been taking care of you for awhile now, helping you recover and stuff. If we wanted to hurt you, we would have done it already." Hal reasoned. The Speedster took in his words, his glowing blue eyes filling with tears. "Why can't I move my legs? Where am I? Who are you? How long have I been gone?" the Speedster asked, his voice shaking and making his words sound like a blur of speech. "A: We rescued you from an android named Brainiac. You looked like you'd been in his captivity for a long time. Apparently, we think he _shattered_ your legs. B: You're on the home planet of the Green Lanterns, Oa. C: My name is Hal, Hal Jordan. D: Gone from where?" Hal answered. "I'm from Earth. I live in Central City and I work as a CSI for the CCPD. I want to know how long I was gone." the Speedster replied. "When did you vanish?" Hal asked, using his ring to project a calendar. "April 26, 2001." the Speedster replied. Hal checked the date and counted the weeks backwards. "You vanished over a year ago." Hal replied. "No. No, no, _no_. That's not right. It was so much _longer_. I felt like I was _dying_." the Speedster stated, grasping his head in panic. "Technically, you _were_. You were suffering from dehydration, malnutrition, oxygen deprivation, and multiple fractures to your bones. That would make you feel like you were dying, for sure." Hal explained. "So, an android broke my legs?" the Speedster asked. "Yeah. He's from Krypton, a friend of mine's home planet." Hal replied casually. "I-I-I don't know what to say….I'm so _scared_." the Speedster admitted, tears pooling in his eyes. Hal knelt down and offered a hand. "Hey, don't cry, man. How old are you?" Hal asked, trying to distract. "Twenty three." the Speedster replied. "That's too _old_ to be crying. You're younger than me, but too old to be crying like a little kid." Hal said, chuckling slightly. "Sorry." the Speedster replied, wiping his eyes. "Don't be. Life gets to be a little too much, sometimes." Hal replied, smiling broadly. "So, your name is Hal?" the Speedster asked. "Short for Harold James Jordan." Hal replied. "I'm Bartholomew Henry Allen. But, everybody just calls me Barry." the Speedster replied. "Nice to meet you, Barry. Now, how about getting you back up on that bed, so you can finish your recovery?" Hal asked. Barry nodded, a small smile on his lips. As Hal talked the Speedster down, the electricity folded back into his body, and his eyes stopped glowing, revealing a pair of lovely baby blues. "I can't stand up, remember?" Barry asked. Hal facepalmed, smirking. "Of course I remember." Hal replied. Cough* "No, I didn't." *Cough. "Do you think you could pick me up?" Barry asked, looking at him with a pair of pink cheeks. "Sure." Hal replied, bending down and scooping up the Speedster, gently depositing him on the bed. He turned to the doorway, peeking his head out. "We're good, guys." he said, giving a thumbs-up. The other lanterns gave a deep breath, some sighing in relief. "Who were you talking to?" Barry asked as he settled himself underneath the blankets. "My crew." Hal replied, gesturing as the other four lanterns filed into the room. "This is Jade, that's Simon, this is Yat, and this big guy is Kilowog." Hal said, introducing each lantern in turn. "You _are_ cute." Jade smiled as she shook Barry's hand. "Nice to meet you, dude." Simon greeted, waving shyly. "Greetings, human." Yat stated, smiling slightly. Kilowog was shy at first, looking at the floor. "I know you, don't I?" Barry asked, cutting the tension between them. "Kinda….I mean, we used to kinda know each other….but not very well…." Kilowog answered, nervous. Barry leaned forward a little bit, his nose twitching slightly. "I _do_ know you. You sat by my bed, and fell asleep, and brought me the teddy bear, and the flowers, and tried to get me to eat." Barry stated, smiling. Surprised, Kilowog grinned proudly. "Yeah, it was nothing, really. I felt bad about what Brainiac did to ya and I thought I'd make it up to ya." he replied, rubbing the back of his thick neck. "Well, thank you. Thank you all, for what you've done to help me. I'd love to hear more, but maybe after I've gotten something to eat." Barry smiled. 'So polite.' Hal thought, filing his comrades into chairs as he went to retrieve something good for the Speedster to eat. When he returned, Barry was laughing heartily at a joke Simon had just told, his eyes watering with the joy. "It's been too long since I've heard such a good joke." Barry complemented, grinning. He didn't have a cheeky grin, like Hal thought he'd have, but a warm, addicting smile that drew you into whatever he had to say. Hal stepped into the room, a tub of ice cream in his hand. "I managed to swipe some ice cream from the commons. You sure you can eat all of this?" Hal asked as he handed it to the Speedster. "You haven't seen anything until you've seen me eat." Barry smiled, taking a bite of the sweet, cold yogurt.

~END


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